Time switch



C E. SUNDBERG TIME SWITCH Aprfi 21 lg g l 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

W 19%. c. E. SUNDBERG 2,3 8 ,891

' TIME SWITCH Filed Dec. 1, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 21, 1936 PATENT OFFICE TIME swrrcn Carl E. Sundberg, Quincy, Mass., assignor to Albert & J. M. Anderson Manufacturing Company, Boston, Mass, chusetts a corporation of Massa- Application December 1, 1932, Serial No. 645,228

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a time switch.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved time switch which is simple in construction, positive and efiicient in operation, and lends itself to economical manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel, automatic time switch embodying a synchronous motor, and whose Construction is such as to lend itself to economical manufacture and positive and efl'lcient operation.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the time switches, and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specificaetion.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved time switch; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the time switch shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail of the switch actuating mechanism to be referred to; and Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the time switch shown in Fig. 1 with portions of the cover plate broken away.

In general, the invention contemplates a time switch, and preferably an automatic time switch, which may be used for controlling an electrical circuit, or for controlling any other switch member, and as herein shown the invention is embodied in a synchronous motor operated time switch for controlling an electrical circuit which is designed to close the circuit, and open the circuit, once during each twenty-four hours.

Referring now to the drawings, the illustrated time switch is provided with a synchronous motor I 0 mounted in a supporting frame H and supplied with current through the leads I2. The synchronous motor may be of any usual or preferred construction designed to be operated in accordance with a master clock to enable the motor shaft to be utilized as a time element. Provisionis made for operatively connecting the motor shaft l3 with a time dial [1, and the latter may and preferably will be graduated into twenty-fourhours and parts thereof, and will be hereinafter referred to as the 24-hour dial. As herein shown, the motor shaft is provided with a pinion l4 meshing with a ring gear l6 mounted upon aworm shaft 18. The worm shaft I8 is provided with a worm which meshes with a worm wheel 22 mounted upon a second worm shaft 24 journalled in two screw bearings 26 in brackets 28, as shown. The shaft 24 is also provided with a worm 30 which meshes with a worm Wheel 32 on a shaft 34. The shaft 34 is provided with a pinion 36 which is connected to the gear train 38, 49, 42, to a hub 44 mounted upon the shaft 46 and to which hub the 24-hour dial I1 is secured to rotate therewith. The ratio of the gearing referred to is such that the shaft 34 makes a complete revolution once an hour, and may therefore be regarded as the minute shaft, and a minute dial 31 is herein shown secured to the end of the shaft 34, and an operating knob 39 is provided for a purpose to be described.

Provision is made for enabling the shaft 34 to be rotated independently of the synchronous motor l0, and the gearing connections between the synchronous motor I0, and the gearing connections between the synchronous motor and the shaft 34, when it is desired to set the dials l1 and31 to correct inaccuracies in their position, in the event that the operation of the synchronous motor has been interrupted for any reason, and for this purpose a friction connection is provided between the shaft 34 and the worm wheel 32, and as herein shown the worm wheel 32 is free on the shaft 34 and frictionallyheld against a collar 39 pinned to the shaft 34, by a coil spring 4|, the second end of which abuts against a second collar 43 also pinned to the shaft. In this manner, during normal operation the rotations of the synchronous motor are; transmitted from the worm wheel 32 to the shaft 34. When it is desired to modify the position" of the dials I1, 31, the operator may turn the shaft 34 by means of the operating knob 39 without effecting the rotation of the worm wheel 32 and the synchronous motor geared thereto.

In the illustrated time switch, a'pair of electrical circuits are arranged to be controlled by pivoted mercury tube switches 6 l, 63 of any usual or preferred construction and which are herein shown as secured in clips 65 attachedgtc a bracket 61 pivoted upon studs 10, 12 in the frame of the time switch. In the operation of the time switch, when the'mercury tubes GI, 63 are tipped into the position shown in Fig. 3, the circuits are closed by the bodies of mercury within the respective tubes, and when the tubes are tipped into the position shown in Fig. 4, these circuits are opened. Provision is made for effecting the tipping of the tubes at the particular time dur ing each twenty-four hours in the operation of the time switch, corresponding to the position occupied by pallets or pointers 1|, 13, respectively. The pointers are provided with the usual projections on their under sides which fit into slots 14 in the 24-hour dial l1 to adjustably contensions 62, 64.

nect the pointers with the dial. The pointer 1| may be regarded as the on pointer and the pointer 13 as the off pointer, so that when the time during the 24-hour period arrives corresponding to the position at which the on pointer 1| is set, provision is made for effecting tipping of the mercury tubes 6|, 63 to close the circuits, and when the time arrives corresponding to the position of the off pointer 13, provision is made for effecting the tipping of the tubes BI, 63 to open the circuits.

As herein shown, the hub 44 to which the spur gear 42 is secured is connectedto the. 24-hour dial I! by a hub 45 on the dial which fits over and is keyed to the end of the hub 44. The hub 44 is made hollow and has both the sleeve 60 and the shaft 46 extended therethrough. At one end the sleeve 60 is secured to the on pointer 13 and the shaft 46 is secured at the corresponding end to the on pointer 1|. At the other end of both the sleeve and shaft, the sleeve 80 is connected to a cam disk 50 and the shaft 46 is connected to a second cam disk 52. The cam disk 52 has cooperating with it a cam finger 54, and the cam disk 50 has cooperating with it a cam finger 56. The fingers 54'and 56 are formed on levers pivoted at 60 and having extensions or arms 64, 62, respectively whose ends are located on opposite sides of a plane through the pivot 60 and, which are normally urged together by a coil or helical spring 66 having its free ends engaging the extensions or arms 62, 64, as shown in Fig. 3. As a result of this construction, the spring 66 tends to hold the fingers 54, 56 in contact with the cam disks 50, 52 and urges them to drop into notches or recesses 65, 61 in the disks when such recesses are brought into register with the fingers during the rotation of the cam disks with the 24-hour dial l1 and the hub 44 which is driven through the gearing above described from the synchronous motor. The movement of the extended ends 64, 62 of the fingers 54, 56, when the fingers drop into'the recesses 65, 61 in the cam disks, is utilized to effect the, movement of the switch member or members herein shown as the mercury tubes 6|, 63, and as herein shown this is accomplished by providing one of the pivots 10 upon which the bracket 61 is pivoted with a crank or arm 90 having a stud 92 designed to be engaged by the ex- The stud 92 is connected by a spring 94 to a fixed part of the frame of the switch, which operates to hold the tubes in either circuit closingor open circuit position until the next operation of the switch and while either arm 62, 64 is being moved'away from the stud 92 by the cam-shaped recesses 61, 65 in the disks 5!], 52. Stops 93 are provided upon the frame for limiting the movement of the lever 90. in opposite directions. 1 1' i In the operation of the switch, assuming the parts to be'ji'r'iopen circuit position, such as is shown in 4, when the cam disk 52 which may be regarded as the on cam disk has rotated sufficiently to bring its recess into register with the finger 54, the latter willffall into the recess under the influence of the spring 66 and this movement will cause the. extension 64 of the finger 54 to move the stud "92 and the mercury tubes into circuitclosing position, such as is shown' in Fig. 3. The switch parts are held in this position by the spring 94, while as the cam disk 52 continues rotation, the finger 54 rides up on the inclined surface 68 of the recess, thereby operating to move the extension 64 to the right, viewing Fig.3, and away from the stud 92 pla'cingthe parts in condition for the next succeeding operation. Thereafter, when the recess 61 in the second or off cam disk 50 comes into register with its finger 56, the latter moves into the recess, operating to cause the extension 62 to move the stud 92 to the right, viewing Fig. 3, thereby effecting the tipping of the mercury tubes into the open circuit position shown in Fig. 4. During the operation of the switch, the spring 94 also assists in effecting a rapid movement of the parts into either open circuit or closed. circuit position after the stud 92 has passed the center line in its movement under the influence of either of the extensions 62, 64.

While as illustrated herein the different features of the invention are shown as embodied in a time switch having a synchronous motor as the time element, it will be understood that they may be embodied with advantage in other forms of time switches, and also while as herein shown two mercury switches 6|, 63, are employed for controlling two circuits, it is to be understood that more switches may be embodied in the time switch if formed advantageous.

From the description thus far, it will be observed that the present construction of time switch is simple, may be economically manufactured, and is positive and rapid in operation.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described.

it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:-

1. In a time switch, in combination, a rotat- I able shaft, a plurality of sleeves concentrically mounted on said shaft, a time dial fast on one of said sleeves to rotate therewith, pointers fast on said shaft and another of said sleeves and cooperating with said time dial to effect rotation by said time dial of said shaft and pointer canying sleeve, a cam disk fast on said pointer-carrying sleeve and provided on its circumference with a cam-shaped recess, a second cam disk fast on said shaft and provided on its circumference with a cam-shaped recess, a switch member, pivoted levers cooperating with said cam disks and having fingers to engage the circumference of said disk and hold the switch member from movement and to enter said cam recesses and permit said switch member to be moved, and a spring cooperating with saidlevers to maintain their fingers in operative relation with said cam disks to enter the said recesses and effect movement of said switch member.

2. In a time switch, in combination, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of sleeves concentrically mounted on said shaft, a gear fast on the outer sleeve, a disk fast on the inner sleeve and provided on its circumference with a cam-shaped recess, adiskfast on said shaft and provided onv its circumference with a cam-shaped recess, a time dial fast on saidouter sleeve, pointers fast on said inner sleeve and said shaft and=co-operating with the said-time dial toenable the latter to rotate said inner sleeve and shaft, pivoted levers having fingers extended from 'one side of said pivot and co-operating with said cam disks and having arms extended from the other side of said pivot, a switch member having a device interposed between said arms, a spring having its free enda engaged with said arms to effect movement of said 'device and switch member, and a second spring tohold said switch member while-imam:

of said levers is being moved by its cam disk away from the device on said switch member.

3. In a time switch, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of sleeves concentrically mounted on said shaft, a gear permanently secured on the outer sleeve, cam disks permanently secured on the inner sleeve and shaft, and provided on their circumferences with cam-shaped recesses, pointers permanently secured to said inner sleeve and shaft, a time dial permanently secured to said outer sleeve and having slots in the periphery thereof to engage with said pointers to enable said time dial to rotate said inner sleeve and shaft, and to permit said pointers to be independently and selectively indexed upon said time dial, concentrically pivoted levers having fingers extending from one side of the pivot cooperating with said cam disks, and arms extending from the other side of the pivot, a switch member, a device thereof interposed between said arms and cooperating therewith, whereby the actuation of said lever fingers by said cams actuate said switch 10 member by said lever arms.

CARL E. SUNDBERG. 

